Тhе next mоrning whеn shе wоkе up, Zhou Shaоjin's mоod remаined sullen. Сhеng Сhi knеw shе wаs genuinelу upset this time and, despitе nеeding tо visit Yuan Wеiсhаng lаter thаt dау, hе hеld Shaоjin and gently соaхed her for а long while. Оnly when hеr sрirits liftеd аgаin did his аnхious heаrt sеttle.
Аftеr bеing cоmfortеd bу Cheng Сhi, Shаojin аlso felt she hаd been somеwhаt stubbоrn abоut the matter. Аs Сhеng Chi hаd sаid, реrhарs it was bеst tо let things rеgarding сhildren takе their nаturаl сoursе. Still, wоuldn't it bе hаrmless to visit Hоngluo Temple tо offer incеnse and рraу tо the Вodhisattva for an early blessing of a precious son? Thinking this, she couldn't help but purse her lips into a smile.
Cheng Chi gave her a large stack of silver notes as temple donation money. Delighted, Shaojin tucked them all into her purse and set out with Cheng Jia and Cheng Sheng.
Hongluo Temple was located over ten li north of the city, built against the mountains facing south, surrounded by hills and water with lush forests. However, as it was still early spring when they arrived, new leaves had yet to sprout, leaving mostly withered yellow branches. Though the scene appeared somewhat desolate, there were many pilgrims. By the time they reached the temple gate, it was nearly noon. Steward Xiang, who had accompanied them, had already prepared resting quarters and vegetarian meals for them.
Cheng Jia couldn't help but laugh, "It's so much more comfortable following our little aunt. Last time when a few of us came, we waited forever just to find a place to rest."
Shaojin was puzzled. Cheng Sheng explained with a smile, "We hadn't expected to encounter Hongluo Temple's temple fair that day—it was packed with people crowding shoulder to shoulder. The stewards hadn't arranged things properly in time."
Shaojin smiled, "Since you happened upon the temple fair, it's no wonder it was crowded."
The three of them had a simple meal before heading to the main hall.
Cheng Sheng had come to fulfill a vow and was received by other guest-monks. Cheng Jia accompanied Shaojin as she donated ten taels of silver as incense money and drew a fortune stick.
The stick read: "Wutong leaves fall as autumn dusk nears, the traveler's return journey speeds like clouds. Thanks to Heaven's high assistance, a treasure-laden boat sails home with favorable winds."
With mentions of falling leaves and autumn dusk, as well as Heaven's aid and treasures, Shaojin and Cheng Jia couldn't determine whether the fortune was good or bad.
The guest-monk, seeing Shaojin's generous donation despite her youth, personally led her to the fortune interpretation area.
The old monk read the stick's verse aloud and asked what they were seeking.
Shaojin felt somewhat embarrassed, but Cheng Jia quickly spoke for her, "A child!"
The old monk smiled and said, "Donor, do not worry. Although this divination contains imagery of falling wutong leaves, it also signifies that matters will turn from inauspicious to auspicious—it is an upper-middle fortune."
Both Shaojin and Cheng Jia were overjoyed and gave ten taels of silver as divination payment.
The old monk smiled, "When the heart seeks a matter, Heaven's heart follows. In planning and action, you may proceed fully. The donor will surely achieve her heart's desire."
This was quite similar to what Cheng Chi had said about "letting things take their natural course"!
Shaojin thanked the monk repeatedly. Upon leaving the hall, she felt the sky vast and the clouds broad, an indescribable lightness in her heart. Spotting a young novice passing by, she stopped him and asked where Cheng Sheng was.
The young novice's ears turned red as he mumbled, "East side," adding, "The eldest daughter-in-law of the Peng family is speaking with the grand master in the meditation room over there!"
Brimming with joy she had nowhere to pour out, Shaojin eagerly pulled Cheng Jia along, "Let's go listen to what they're saying too!"Cheng Jia was naturally an active person. Having been confined at home by Li Jing for so long, even if Zhou Shaojin hadn't wanted to go, she would have urged her to. Now that Zhou Shaojin had agreed to go, she became even more enthusiastic, pulling Zhou Shaojin toward the east.
Perhaps the meditation hall wasn't open to ordinary devotees, as the further they walked, the fewer people they encountered.
Suddenly, Zhou Shaojin halted in her tracks.
Cheng Jia quickly asked, "What's wrong?" only to see her standing on tiptoe, peering toward the woods on the hillside below.
A small path led from the corridor where they stood down to the woods on the hillside. A man in a fine blue cloth robe was passing through the woods toward the ceremonial gate.
The man was tall and slender, walking hurriedly, which seemed rather out of place in this Zen temple filled almost entirely with female devotees.
Cheng Jia laughed, "He might be someone's husband. When it comes to matters of descendants, I doubt any man can truly remain indifferent..."
As she spoke, she tugged at Zhou Shaojin, ready to continue forward.
But Zhou Shaojin grabbed her hand urgently, saying, "Look at that figure—doesn't it look like Cheng Lu?"
"Cousin Lu?!" Cheng Jia widened her eyes, staring intently at the man. She stammered, "I've only seen him a few times myself, how would I know if it looks like him... Cousin Lu is also tall and thin... But how could he have come to the capital? The devotees at Hongluo Temple are all women—what would he be doing here..."
Zhou Shaojin's mind was in turmoil.
Knowing Cheng Lu as she did, she understood that given even the slightest opportunity, he would never abandon his malicious intentions. Just as she had lived in seclusion for so many years, yet after the Cheng family's misfortune, he had traveled thousands of miles to find and threaten her.
If it really was Cheng Lu, she couldn't let him get away.
She hurriedly instructed the younger Jixiang, "Quickly go find Fan Qi. Tell him I saw Cheng Lu wearing a fine blue cloth robe, and ask him to find a way to locate him."
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but feel grateful that she had entrusted Fan Qi to Steward Xiang. Today, since Old Madam Guo was at the Chaoyang Gate residence and someone needed to stay there, she had brought Steward Xiang along on this outing.
Jixiang dashed off in a flash.
Both Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Jia's good moods vanished.
Cheng Jia comforted Zhou Shaojin, "Maybe you just saw wrong."
"I hope so!" Zhou Shaojin replied uneasily. The two walked silently to the meditation room.
Cheng Sheng had only been discussing Buddhist teachings with the old monk while waiting for Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Jia. Now that they had arrived, she naturally took her leave.
The three of them retraced their steps along the way they had come.
Cheng Sheng asked with great interest what fortune stick Zhou Shaojin had drawn.
Zhou Shaojin told her.
Cheng Sheng smiled, "My mother will be very happy to hear this. She also said she wants to go with you to look for a wife for Rang'er. When the time comes, we'll go to Daxiangguo Temple to sample their vegetarian dishes."
Cheng Jia chimed in, "I want to go too! I won't say a word—just pretend I'm not there. I want to go to Daxiangguo Temple to eat vegetarian food."
Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Sheng couldn't help but laugh.
As the group chatted and laughed, the atmosphere grew lively again.
Zhou Shaojin brought back some vegetarian pastries for Old Madam Guo.
Seeing this, Cheng Sheng exclaimed, "No wonder Grandmother likes you so much. We never even thought of it."
Zhou Shaojin blushed and said, "I just thought these were quite tasty."
Cheng Sheng nodded repeatedly and instructed her attendant matron to also buy some to take back, saying, "Let my in-laws have a taste."Cheng Jia also bought some, saying she wanted to bring them back for Li Jing to try.
Li Jing will definitely be very happy!
Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips and looked around. She asked Chunwan, "Where did Fan Qi go?"
Chunwan looked toward Jixiang.
Jixiang hurriedly said, "I delivered Madam's message to Manager Fan, and after that, Manager Fan never returned..."
Could it really be Cheng Lu?
Zhou Shaojin pondered this in her heart, leaving one person there to wait for Fan Qi while they headed back home.
Who would have thought that when she returned to Chaoyang Gate, several people were sitting in Old Madam Guo's room. Besides the wife of Master Peng from the Ministry of War's Military Selection Department, who had been visiting their home frequently these days, there were also Lady Pengcheng and Madam Qiu, all sitting together eating pastries, drinking tea, and chatting.
Seeing her return, that Madam Yuan hurried forward, took Zhou Shaojin's hand, and warmly smiled, "Fourth Madam, congratulations are in order! That Grand Secretary Qu has been thrown into prison, and the Emperor is ordering a joint trial by three courts!"
In other words, Cheng Chi is safe.
It was Grand Secretary Qu who was in the wrong!
Zhou Shaojin was overjoyed, her face brightening noticeably as she called out to Old Madam Guo, "Mother, is this true?"
"It's true!" Old Madam Guo's smile was much more reserved than Zhou Shaojin's, but her delight was still evident. "Madam Peng and Lady Pengcheng came specifically to tell me about this."
Zhou Shaojin couldn't contain her smile, which shone brightly on her face.
This made Master Peng, Lady Pengcheng, and Madam Qiu, who had come to deliver the news, feel that they had done exactly the right thing, and they too were very pleased.
When Cheng Chi returned in the evening, Zhou Shaojin helped him change his clothes. Unable to hold back, she embraced him, looked up with a smile, and asked, "Do you have something to tell me?"
If it were about the divination slip, she would definitely ask him, "Guess what slip I drew?" But this was about Grand Secretary Qu being imprisoned.
He hadn't expected her to find out so quickly.
But looking at her delicate, lotus-like face, a playful urge came over him. Pretending to be casual, he asked curiously in return, "Has something happened at home?"
Could it be that Si Lang didn't know about Grand Secretary Qu's imprisonment?
Zhou Shaojin blinked, then quickly told Cheng Chi about Madam Peng coming to deliver the news.
A glimmer of amusement, like scattered starlight, danced in Cheng Chi's eyes.
Zhou Shaojin stared in surprise, then immediately realized she had fallen for Cheng Chi's trick again.
"I'll never help you change clothes again!" Zhou Shaojin pushed Cheng Chi away, a mix of embarrassment and anger in her voice.
Cheng Chi laughed heartily, pulling Zhou Shaojin tightly into his arms. Leaning close to her face, he said, "I have another piece of news to tell you, though I'm not sure if you'll like hearing it."
Zhou Shaojin was very curious and, forgetting his earlier teasing, asked, "What is it? How can I know if I'll like it if you don't tell me?"
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "I've been transferred to the Censorate as an Assistant Secretary in the Records Office!"
Assistant Secretary in the Censorate's Records Office—a sixth-rank position.
But that wasn't the main point. The main point was that an Assistant Secretary in the Records Office would remain in the capital.
"I like it, I like it!" Zhou Shaojin exclaimed with uncontrollable joy, hugging Cheng Chi tightly.
Cheng Chi lowered his head, kissed the top of Zhou Shaojin's head, and murmured with a laugh, "Silly girl."
※
That night, Fan Qi did not return.
Cheng Chi sent people to search for him overnight.
Zhou Shaojin worried all night.
The next day, as the news spread, relatives and friends of the Cheng family came to offer their congratulations.Zhou Shaojin directed the kitchen maids in preparing refreshments for the guests while anxiously awaiting news from Fan Qi, her joy over Cheng Chi's promotion now fading into the background.
If only she hadn’t sent Fan Qi to investigate.
What would she tell Mama Fan if anything happened to him?
How could she ever face Fan Qi again?
It wasn’t until dusk, when lamps were lit, that Fan Qi finally returned, covered in dust and exhaustion.
Overjoyed, Zhou Shaojin disregarded the guests in the main hall and pulled Fan Qi aside behind the kitchen. "Well? Were you in any danger?"
"None at all!" Fan Qi panted. "You weren’t mistaken—it was Cheng Lu. I followed him all the way to Huairou, where he works as an accountant for an official’s family... and he’s changed his name to Dong Lichun."
※
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